By RICHIE HALL
NOBLESVILLE – Anyone who thinks efficiency is boring needs to watch the Fishers girls basketball team.
The Tigers put on a clinic in making the most of opportunities during their Hoosier Crossroads Conference game at The Mill in Noblesville. Fishers used hot shooting to score a 79-65 victory over the Millers.
The Tigers made 27 baskets in 40 attempts, which comes out to 68 percent. Fishers coach Lauren Votaw credited that performance to moving the ball well.
“We’ve talked about, that ball has to get moving,” said Votaw. “We struggled a little bit with it this year, with it just sticking and overdribbling a little bit. And so we weren’t getting really quality looks off of free passes.”
In their Friday game, Votaw said the Tigers “were able to move the basketball and move ourselves, and so we were creating good looks for people, and I think that’s what made the difference.”
Noblesville led 2-0 after Kate Rollins scored the first basket of the game, but Joirdyn Smith sent in a 3-pointer, and Fishers never trailed again. The Tigers steadily made their way to a 25-17 lead after the first quarter; Smith threw in three triples, while Kate Thomas and Talia Harris both scored six points.
“I think we all played very well as a team,” said Harris. The senior said Fishers knew it would be a tough game, so the Tigers “played as hard as we can” to get win.
Freshman Alanna Anthony came off the bench to make a traditional three-point play during the second quarter, and that gave Fishers its first 10-point lead of the game at 35-25. The Millers cut it down to 41-36 by halftime, with Reagan Wilson scoring nine points in the second period.
“Reagan Wilson’s a darn good basketball player,” said Votaw. “She was very good, especially in the first half. I was proud of the way our kids adjusted in the second half to try to take some of that away.”
A 3 by Wilson got Noblesville within 43-41 early in the third quarter. Fishers responded with an 11-2 spurt; Harris began the run with a jumper, then Smith made her fourth 3-pointer of the game. Allison Scheu’s and-1, followed by a Thomas layin pushed the Tigers lead into double digits once more.
Fishers’ largest lead of the game was 62-47 in the third quarter, this after a Harris basket and a 3 from Morgan Roberts. The Millers went on an 8-0 run after that, with Ava Shoemaker nailing a triple and Meredith Tippner making a layin. Tippner’s basket was the last of the third quarter, which finished with the Tigers up 62-52.
Noblesville’s Ava Shoemaker scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers. (Richie Hall)
Shoemaker opened the fourth quarter with a 3, and the Millers were within seven. But they would get no closer. Consecutive baskets from Scheu and Harris put the Tigers ahead 70-57. A Wilson 3 got Noblesville within 70-62, but the Tigers used free throws to finish the game.
Harris was the first of four Fishers players in double figures, scoring 24 points on 9-of11 shooting. Smith had 16 points, Scheu scored 12 and Thomas added 11 points and pulled six rebounds. Harris had six assists and five rebounds, while Smith dished out four assists.
“This is one of the best shooting games I’ve had,” said Harris, who also said she’s put in “a lot of hard work, and I can tell it’s paying off. The rest of my teammates work just as hard as me, and it’s all going to pay off eventually.”
Wilson scored 23 points and Shoemaker had 15, both made three 3s. C.C. Quigley contributed 11 points. Tippner collected nine rebounds.
The Tigers are 2-1 in HCC play and 8-3 overall, and host Pendleton Heights on Monday. The Millers are 2-2 in conference play and 5-5 overall, and host Plainfield tonight.
FISHERS 79, NOBLESVILLE 65
Fishers FG FT TP PF
Joirdyn Smith 4-5 4-4 16 2
Talia Harris 9-11 6-8 24 1
Kate Thomas 5-8 1-2 11 1
Nevaeh Dickman 0-3 3-4 3 4
Allison Scheu 4-5 3-4 12 4
Morgan Roberts 3-6 0-0 8 1
Olivia Brookshire 0-0 0-0 0 0
Alanna Anthony 1-1 1-1 3 1
Natalie Thomas 1-1 0-0 2 0
Totals 27-40 18-23 79 14
Fishers 3-point shooting (7-12) Smith 4-5, Roberts 2-4, Scheu 1-1, Harris 0-1, Dickman 0-1.
Fishers rebounds (25) Thomas 6, Harris 5, Roberts 4, Scheu 4, Dickman 2, Smith 1, Anthony 1, team 2.
NOBLESVILLE FG FT TP PF
Ava Shoemaker 4-9 4-4 15 3
Reagan Wilson 8-21 4-5 23 4
Meredith Tippner 3-13 3-7 9 4
Kate Rollins 3-7 0-0 7 3
C.C. Quigley 3-6 5-7 11 2
Ally Hutchinson 0-0 0-0 0 1
Brookelyn Grayson 0-0 0-0 0 0
Totals 21-56 16-23 65 17
Noblesville 3-point shooting (7-18) Wilson 3-10, Shoemaker 3-6, Rollins 1-2.
Noblesville rebounds (25) Tippner 9, Shoemaker 3, Wilson 3, Grayson 2, Rollins 2, Hutchinson 1, Quigley 1, team 4.
Score by Quarters
Fishers 25 16 21 17 – 79
Noblesville 17 19 16 13 – 65